Xs and Os
by Mikell
Summary: Herobrine has flung Steve into a new dimension, one where giants roam and nothing works the way he expects. Will he meet friends or foes? What is this place? Will he ever find his way home? Uploaded as a single chapter because I'm lazy and it's relatively short. Story inspired by MineworksAnimations MWA Realistic Minecraft Songs in Real Life "Ones & Zeros," available on Youtube.


**A/N: Welp. It's been a really long time. And, if you're getting this notification because you followed me for TMNT stories... well, sorry. It's not my best work. Just a short bit inspired by a music video I watched recently. It's called "Ones and Zeros" and it's by Mineworks Animations WMA. I have no affiliation with these animators, their work simply inspired this silly little story and I couldn't let it go. Minecraft is a close second in my heart to the TMNT, so it seems natural, if a bit awkward, to write these characters.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy.**

 **-  
** Xs & Os

The fall seemed endless… Flashing lights and the disorienting feeling of falling forever stopped abruptly as he landed, hard, on a solid surface. He heard the familiar chuckle before he could focus his eyes and adrenaline raced through him. _Herobrine_. Of course. He had to have something to do with this.

Steve forced himself to open his eyes, to focus. His life depended on it. Herobrine would strike while he was helpless, long experience had taught him that much. Not a second too soon, he opened his eyes in time to roll away from the other's attack. He heard the undead creature grunt as his fist struck the solid surface where Steve had lain an instant before. He rolled to his feet and glared grimly at the smirking Herobrine.

"Hello, brother." Herobrine grinned. "Welcome."

"What have you done?" Steve demanded. "What is this place?"

"It's your death."

"What?"

Herobrine's smirk grew. "This, Steve, is where we spawned." He made a sweeping gesture with his arms, encompassing the strange place that surrounded them.

Steve didn't take his eyes off him. He wasn't going to be so easily distracted by the creature's theatrics.

"I can _see_ that," he muttered. "Obviously we've spawned into this… whatever this is. But where _is_ this?"

"It's the real world."

"The… _real_ world? What the nether do you mean?"

Herobrine chuckled again, a dark sound of satisfaction that meant he thought he'd already won. Steve silently vowed to quickly disabuse him of that notion.

"You don't get it, do you, Steve? This is where we _started_ ," said Herobrine. He stepped closer, and Steve crouched, ready to defend himself. "This is where it _all_ started. Everything we know. It originated _here._ This is the real world, Steve. A dimension you've only dreamed of. The beginning. And for you, it's the end, too."

"What are you talking about?" Steve narrowed his eyes, never taking his gaze from the creature's face. He was aware of the landscape around them, the large, flat, smooth spaces and tall planes. None of it looked natural or familiar, but he couldn't take his eyes off his opponent long enough to take it in.

"Notch, Steve." Herobrine's voice was soft, hypnotic, persuasive. "This is _his_ world. And now we're in it. Well, _you_ are. I'm leaving. I've already explored it enough to learn its secrets. Now it's your turn. I don't expect you to survive for long here."

He turned and walked toward a strange little hill covered with black pebbles. Steve watched, tense, as he walked onto the hill. The strange stones gave under his feet, sinking with an odd _clicking_ sound. Herobrine spared him one last look over his shoulder.

"Goodbye, Steve. Enjoy what's left of your life. Oh, and watch out for the giants." He smirked, stepped on the rock, and vanished in a flash of purple light, leaving behind only his cruel laughter.

Steve fell back, swearing. _Blast_ _him!_

Herobrine had escaped, _again_ , and once again Steve had been helpless to stop him. Not that he was sure it mattered at this point. He took advantage of his nemesis absence, taking the opportunity to look around. The space he stood in was vast. He seemed to be on a sort of plateau. There wasn't much besides the hill and a large black flat smooth… thing. He wasn't sure what it was, but it gave him the creeps. Shaking his head, he moved cautiously toward the hill where Herobrine had vanished.

 _Which rock was it?_ Steve experimentally stepped on one of the smaller stones. It clicked, but nothing happened. He tried another one. This time there was a faint _whirring_ sound, and the large black flat thing lit up. Steve nearly fell off the edge of the plateau. He scrambled back, but nothing catastrophic happened. The surface flashed and letters and numbers appeared.

 _It's some kind of… screen,_ he realized. _But what does it do? And how can I open the portal home?_

Cautiously, he approached the hill again and stepped on more rocks. Letters appeared on the screen. _Ok, so it's a keyboard,_ he thought. _I can do this. All I've got to do is figure out the right sequence…_

He stepped carefully on the keys, trying various combinations, but the screen remained stubbornly the same. Steve soon tired of the fruitless endeavor. _There's got to be another way,_ he thought. _He's tricked me somehow. There's got to be a portal somewhere. He's just hidden the entrance. That's got to be it._ He carefully climbed over the hill and explored the space behind the giant screen. He couldn't find any sign of a portal, but he did find some thick vines that led down to a lower level. He looked at them, considering. It was a long drop, even if he had feather-falling boots, which he didn't.

 _I'll have to risk it,_ he decided. _There's no other way out of here. I can't stay up here on this hill forever. I wonder how long I have before nightfall? I've got to get out of here, find someplace safe. Mobs'll start spawning soon. I don't want to be out here unprotected. I need coal, sticks… a weapon. Oh Notch, what have I gotten into this time?_

At the curse, he paused. Herobrine had said this was _Notch's_ world. What did he mean? Steve shook his head. He'd always suspected the undead creature was touched in the head. This seemed to confirm it. Notch wasn't real. He was a myth, a legend made up to entertain children. And giants? How thick did Herobrine think he was? How could there be giants? And yet the presence of the giant keyboard and screen… Steve shook his head with a shiver. It didn't bear thinking about too much. He had more immediate problems to deal with. He'd need food, shelter, and light, and fast.

Cautiously, he grasped the vine and swung his legs over the edge, trying hard not to think about just how far down the next level was. He was surprised to find how slippery the vine was, but gripped it tightly, determined not to fall. He began sliding down. He was so busy concentrating that he didn't hear the sounds at first, but a clicking got his attention. He stared as one of the giant walls opened slowly and nearly lost his grip as something… someone… huge ambled into the room. He never saw the smaller creature until it growled just below him.

Horrified, he looked down to see a furry creature looking up at him, its green eyes gleaming. It merowed, showing teeth. Steve gasped, losing his grip. He was falling, unable to save himself.

He braced himself for the impact with the hard surface, but something soft and leathery caught him and he was being lifted. Terrified and confused, he heard a booming voice.

"Mittens! What are you doing? Don't knock things off the desk, you crazy cat."

He was lifted through the air and lowered to the surface in front of the screen again. Released, he sank to his knees, reaction causing his chest to heave and his hands to shake. He didn't dare lift his head or move. His mind shied away from understanding what had just happened.

"Hmm, I don't remember this figure," the voice was quieter and close.

Steve flinched. There was movement and something grasped his shoulders, lifting him up. He managed not to actually scream as he was lifted up and held with his legs dangling. He stared, terror-stricken, at the monster that was holding him.

 _Holy Notch, he wasn't lying… there really are giants_. He couldn't move, could hardly breathe.

"Weird. It's warm. What the heck?" The giant was peering at him, frowning. "What… what are you?" The creature moved its hand, releasing its grip on his shoulders and letting him slide down into its palm.

Steve scrambled back against its fingers, instinctively trying to escape. He threw up his arms to shield his face, cringing.

"Please! Don't kill me!" he cried, rational thought impossible. He cringed, trying to make himself as small a target as possible. He'd faced zombies, skeletons, even fought a wither once, but this, it was too much. The creature could crush him like an insect.

The giant jumped, causing what felt like an earthquake, but its hand closed convulsively around him, preventing him from sliding off and falling. Steve cried out, but he was protected, rather than crushed.

"Holy crap! You can _talk?_ " It swore, and Steve felt its hand shake under him.

He made no attempt to answer, just curled into a tighter ball, shaking in misery and terror. _He was right. He wasn't lying for once. There are giants, and I'm dead._ _Oh Notch, I just hope it doesn't hurt too much… Maybe I'll respawn at home and escape this nightmare._

"Oh hey… hey, take it easy, man. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It just startled me, hearing you… I mean, you really _did_ talk, right? I'm not imagining things?" The giant laughed shakily. "Here. Let me put you down, ok? Just take it easy. Relax. You're ok."

Steve felt himself lowered. He slid off the creature's hand, on to the surface where he'd first spawned, in front of the giant keyboard. He sprawled, helpless to run or try to defend himself. The shock of being released and the terror of what he was facing held him frozen. He kept his head down and his eyes closed, too terrified to look up at the creature.

Something soft and warm touched his back. The touch electrified him and he scrambled forward to avoid it, but didn't get far before he was pinned to the surface. He squirmed, but the giant's fingers surrounded him, holding him in place.

"Please… please let me go… don't hurt me!" he cried.

"Hey, take it easy. You've got to careful. You almost went right off the side again. I don't think you'd do too well falling that far." The voice was close, but softer.

Steve shuddered, but when nothing else happened, he slowly lifted his head, swallowing hard. The creature was holding him down with just two fingers. It was applying just enough pressure to hold him still. He realized with a shock that he'd moved quite close to the edge of the precipice. Slowly, cautiously, he lifted his head to look at the giant's face. It was gazing at him with large green eyes. He realized with a shock that its hair was quite long. _It's a girl_ , he realized. _I didn't know giants had girls._

"Look, I'll let you go if you promise not to go running off the edge, ok?"

She was watching him, waiting for some kind of response, apparently. Steve swallowed hard, but he nodded.

Slowly, the giant released him, moving her hand away. Steve rolled back, never taking his eyes off her face. He crabbed backward until his back touched the keyboard. He rested there for a moment, watching her warily.

 _Ok, she didn't kill me… yet. What now?_

The giant moved and Steve scrabbled back, alarmed. She stopped, watching him. "Easy," she said softly. "I'm just going to sit down, ok? I promise I'm not gonna hurt you or anything."

Steve watched as she sank down, her height reduced as she sank onto what he'd taken for a mountain, that was clearly a chair. The position brought her face closer, giving him an opportunity to get a good look at her. Her golden-red hair curled around her cheeks as she stared at him, wide-eyed. Her eyes were green.

"Where the hell did you come from?" she asked softly.

Steve didn't answer. He couldn't find his voice, somehow. The proximity of the giant was something he was still trying to wrap his mind around. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to talk to it anyway. Notch only knew what it was going to do to him. He was at the creature's mercy and had no reason to trust she would turn out to be benevolent.

She watched him for a moment and blew out a sigh. "Wow. I'm being really rude, huh? Sorry. It's just not every day I find… someone… in my room, you know? My name's JoAnn. You can call me Jo. Everyone does. What's your name?"

He watched her, unmoving.

"You do have a name, don't you?" she prodded. "You talked. I heard you. And I know I saw you move before. I know I'm not losing my mind." Cautiously she moved her hand toward him. It was too much for Steve.

"Ok! Ok! I'll talk. Just don't, please!" He cringed away from the finger coming toward him, throwing himself flat on the surface and pressing back against the keyboard mountain.

"I'm sorry!" She withdrew her hand. "I'm really not trying to scare you. Please don't do that. I won't touch you if you don't like it." She laid her hands flat on the edge of the surface as if to show him she was harmless. Steve didn't believe it for a moment, but he sat up again, watching her.

He swallowed hard. "My… my name's Steve," he said. "I… I don't know how I got here. My enemy opened a portal. He used it to get back, but I can't. I don't know how."

"A portal? Where?" She frowned.

"I don't know." He shook his head. "He was pushing keys on this thing. He brought us both here, but then he went back somehow. I tried but I can't figure out how he did it."

"Back? You mean… back to Minecraft? I mean, you look like you came from the game."

"Game? I came from my world, my _home._ " Steve found himself fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry. This is a lot to take in," said the giant. "I didn't know you could… exist. I mean, here, in this world… well, you're not supposed to be here."

"I _know_ that," snapped Steve. "What I don't know is how it happened, or how I'm going to get back."

She shifted, and he shivered, pressing back instinctively to avoid her, but she didn't move her hands.

"I'll help you if I can," she said softly. "Geez. You must be so scared."

"I'm… I'm fine." Steve sat up with an effort.

"Well, I guess if he used the computer, we should try that first," she said. "Let me see if I can figure out what the last command typed was, ok?"

Steve stared at her, suspicious. "Why would you help me?"

"Why wouldn't I? I hope someone'd help me if I found myself in some huge weird world all of a sudden," she answered.

Steve nodded slowly, feeling faintly ashamed of himself. She hadn't hurt him yet. Maybe he could trust her, a little. He wasn't about to let his guard down though.

She moved again, and this time her hand moved. Steve froze, staring. Every instinct told him to run, but there was nowhere to go. The big, flat surface dropped off hundreds of blocks in all directions. Besides, she could catch him easily before he could get anywhere.

She lifted her hand and moved it toward him and he cringed, throwing himself to one side to avoid her.

"No!"

"Oh hey, take it easy!" She set her hand down, blocking the direction he'd moved in. "Sorry! Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just need to use the keyboard, ok? I promise not to touch you."

Steve moved quickly to get out of her way, backing away without taking his eyes off her. She waited until he'd stationed himself behind the monitor. He peered around the edge of the big screen, watching her tensely.

She moved slowly, reaching her fingers out to the keys.

"It's ok," she said softly. "Everything's going to be ok, Steve. We'll figure this out and get you home."

He watched as her fingers moved over the keys, clicking softly. He was too afraid to move closer to see what was happening on the screen. She stared at the flashing light, her frown deepening. "What the hell… this shouldn't have… wait what? What _is_ this? What on earth…" She leaned forward, peering at the screen.

Steve jerked back, cowering, but she didn't seem to notice. She clicked more keys, biting her lip. Steve was so busy watching her, he had no warning before a soft _thump_ behind him warned him of the danger. He spun around, falling against the back of the screen. His head connected solidly with the surface. The cat stood staring down at him. It licked its whiskers and started toward him, reaching out with one paw, its claws extending.

"Hey! Mittens, cut it out." The giant's hand closed around him, causing him to cry out. She scooped him up, cradling him in her palm. "Sorry, Steve! I'm really sorry. She doesn't have any manners. Hang on. I'll get her out of here, ok? Then you can just chill and she won't bother you anymore."

With her free hand, the giant scooped up the cat. She hooked it over her arm and opened the door, dropping the cat gently outside, before swinging the door closed. She went back to the desk and set Steve gently down again. He lay gasping for air, the shock of the attack and being held in her huge hand leaving him too weak to get up.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry, Steve." She sat down, peering down at him. "Are you ok? She didn't hurt you did she?"

Steve shook his head, unable to speak.

"You sure you're ok?"

She shifted closer, looking anxious, and he cringed, throwing up an arm to protect his face. She immediately backed up.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine." Steve forced himself to sit up. He kept a wary eye on her. "Um… thanks to you."

"I scared you again, huh? I'm really sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to. I thought she was going to get you."

"So did I, for a second there," he admitted. "Thanks, really. You… you saved my life."

"Don't worry about it. It was my stupid cat," she smiled. "She thinks anything small that moves is a toy."

Steve shivered. "I'm not small," he argued. "You're just… big. Really big," he added.

She laughed. "Well, I don't _feel_ really big."

"And I don't feel really small," he retorted. "Anyway, what… what'd you find on the computer?"

She frowned. "I found I don't know enough. There's some really weird lines of code on here. I'm not sure how it works. I… I don't know what he did, Steve. We need more help."

"What… what do you mean, help?" Steve asked. He didn't like the sound of that. _More giants?_

"Well, I have friends who might be able to help," she said thoughtfully. "But… they're not going to believe me. Hell, I'm not sure _I_ believe me."

"What?"

"They're not going to believe in _you_ ," she said softly. "I'd never believe you were here if I hadn't seen you myself."

"You… you mean you want to show me to _more_ giants?" Steve scrambled back, but there was no place for him to go. He rested against the solid surface of the keyboard's edge, watching her warily.

"Well, I don't know how else to get you home." She shook her head. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Steve, I promise. I know you're scared but…"

"Scared? You have no idea! I mean, he dumped me here in this place, and he said it's Notch's world and that there are giants, and I'm doomed." He moaned. "I can't get home." He fought back the tears that stung his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Steve. This must be awful for you. But I promise nobody's going to hurt you. Was this enemy… he wasn't named Herobrine, was he?"

Steve jumped to his feet, shaking. "You _know_ Herobrine? That figures. You're helping him aren't you? You're working with him!"

He turned, making a wild dash for the vines leading over the edge of the plateau. He _had_ to escape, to get away, to find his way home. This was all a trick, one of _his_ tricks, he was sure of it now. It would be just like Herobrine to warn him against his allies in this world. The creature would find it amusing that he'd played right into his hands by allowing the thing to capture him.

"Whoa!"

The hand closed around him again just before he reached the vines. He struggled, pushing hard against the fingers enclosing him, but she held him tightly.

"Easy! Easy," she said, bringing him back and resting her hand on the surface in front of the keyboard again, holding him firmly. "Calm _down_ , Steve! Geez."

"Let me go!" he cried, struggling. "Let me go you… you _monster!"_

"Steve! Hey, come on, take it easy. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not working with Herobrine! I only know his name from the game. I'm trying to _help_ you here, but I can't let you just run off the edge of the desk for crying out loud. If you'll just calm down, I'll let you go. Can't we just talk? Please?"

"No!"

Steve struggled, but it was no use. She was too strong. He kept trying, pushing against her hand.

"If you're not going to listen I'll have to contain you somehow," she said. "I must have something here I can put you in until you calm down. I don't want to keep grabbing you like this."

"Let me go!" he cried again, but she shook her head. She carried him across the room with a speed that took his breath away. She opened another section of wall with her free hand, revealing another, smaller room. She reached up and brought down something the size of a starter house. She set it down on the desk and lowered Steve into it. The walls were taller than his head, far higher than he could jump or climb. She slid him off her palm onto the bottom and took her hand out. Steve scrambled back into a corner and half-lay there, shaking and fighting off the sobs of fear and anger that threatened to overwhelm him.

"I'm sorry, Steve. You'll have to stay in that box until you calm down a little bit, ok?"

"You can't keep me prisoner!" he shouted, shaking a fist at her.

"I don't _want_ to keep you a prisoner," she responded. "But I can't have you running off the desk and hurting yourself. I'll do my best to help you but you're going to have to try to trust me. I know you're scared. Heck, I'd be scared witless if it was me. But I promise I'll help if I can."

"Please." Steve drew a deep, shuddering breath. He sat up, wiping his face. "Just… just let me go."

"Where would you go?" she asked reasonably. "Steve, you're tiny in this world. I mean, Mittens wants you as a cat toy. I don't want you to get hurt."

He shrank back against the side of the structure. He didn't want to get hurt, either, but he didn't trust this giant.

"Look, I'll do what I can, ok? Let me look at this code again. Maybe I can find something. I just don't want to screw it up. I don't know what would happen," she said reasonably.

"Whatever." Steve sank down against the wall. He laid down, using his arm for a pillow. All this had him exhausted.

"You must be tired. And you're probably hungry, too. I don't know what you can actually eat," she said softly. "I mean, you look like one of my figures from the game, but they don't walk and talk. Can you eat regular food?"

"What do you mean?" he muttered. "I eat food, yeah. Steak. Pork chops. Chicken. Potatoes. Bread. Carrots or melon if I can't get anything else."

"Mushroom stew?" she asked, sounding interested.

"Yuck. I hate mushrooms," he wrinkled his nose.

She laughed. "It's ok. I don't think I have any mushrooms anyway." She hesitated. "I mean, we have bread, but I don't know if it's the same as what you eat. I'll bring you some and you can try it if you want, ok?"

"I… I guess so." Steve curled up. He was tired. How long did the day last in this world, anyway?

"I'll be right back," she said, standing up.

"I'll be here," muttered Steve.

She left the room, closing the door behind her. He listened to the silence, grateful to be left alone for the moment. He stood up and tried jumping to reach the top of the structure but it was pointless. All he managed to do was fall backward and bump his head. Steve swore, kicking the side of the structure. He was trapped. All he could do was wait for the giant to come back and hope she wasn't hiding an evil nature. He punched the structure but decided quickly that was a bad idea. It _hurt_ his hand.

 _What's this made out of? I punch wood at home…_ Steve shook his hand. _Ok, so that's not gonna work. I need a diamond axe._

Before he had time to search for materials, he heard the creak of the door. She was returning already. He scrambled back to the corner of the box, trying to look like he hadn't been trying to escape.

"Ok well, I'm not sure if any of this stuff will work for you but we had some bread and there was some leftover pork chop in the 'fridge. So I cut you a little piece. I mean, I've got these plastic ones from the game, but I can't imagine they'd be very tasty."

She set something on the desk, and he heard noises as she rummaged around. "See?"

Something small and hard dropped near his head. He stared. It looked like a steak. It was the right size, shape, and color, but it was hard and shiny. "What is that?" he asked., poking it.

"I told you, that's the toy. Here. This is my Steve figure," she said. The huge hand came into the structure, and a life-sized statue was placed down a few blocks away. Steve scrambled back, avoiding her hand. He stared at the weird likeness. It was eerily familiar, grinning stupidly at him.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked.

At the store," she answered. "I guess the plastic food's no good to you, right? Here, try the real stuff. I had to cut up a paper plate to make one for you. I don't have anything else small enough."

She took the statue back out and the hand came back, this time carrying what looked to Steve like a huge white platter. He could smell food before he could see what was on it, and his stomach turned over. She set it gently down a few blocks from him and withdrew her hand again.

Cautiously, Steve crawled over to examine the offering. The food was strangely shaped and overlarge, but it smelled good. He reached out, picking up a piece of what he assumed was bread. He nibbled the edge, tasting the crust and feeling the odd texture in his mouth. It tasted like bread. He ate it more readily, reaching for what looked like a pork chop, but bigger and flatter. He bit into it carefully and gasped as he felt a surge of power run through him. He was familiar with the energy that came along with hearts coming back up, but this was different; stronger and more powerful. He gasped, but he couldn't stop eating. The food was _so_ good, and he had been hungry. Soon, he'd finished the offering.

"Thanks," he said, sitting back. "I guess… I guess I was really hungry."

"I'm not surprised," she said kindly. "You feel better?"

"I'll feel better when I can go home," he responded. A yawn overtook him. "It'll get dark soon won't it? Shouldn't you light some torches or something?"

"Torches?" She laughed. "Well it'll be dark outside soon, but we don't have torches."

"No torches? How do you keep the mobs from spawning?" he asked, alarmed.

"Oh, no, don't worry," she responded. "There aren't any mobs here. We don't get that in this world. Of course, we don't get people like you here, either, normally. I'll leave a light on anyway, just in case." She smiled.

Steve nodded, preparing to lie down again.

"That can't be comfortable. Let me find something you can use for a bed, ok? I'm sorry I don't have a real bed for you but at least I can give you something soft to lie on and something you can use for a blanket, ok?"

"What? You don't have to," said Steve. She made him nervous.

"It's ok" she said. "Really. It's no trouble."

She got up and disappeared from sight for a few minutes. Steve could hear her rummaging around in the room the structure had come from.

"Here, this should work."

He scrambled out of the way as she lowered a piece of folded cloth into the structure. It looked like folded wool carpet, but when Steve reached out to touch it, it was soft. Carefully, he climbed onto the pad. She lowered another soft piece of cloth down next to him. He pulled it over himself and snuggled into the makeshift bed. It was comfortable, he had to admit.

"Um, thanks, I guess."

"No problem. I'm sorry Steve. I promise I'll try to figure this out so you can get home," she said.

"What if I can't go home? What if I really am trapped here forever?" Steve voiced the fear that was eating at his mind. Tears stung his eyes and he let them fall silent and hidden.

"I don't have the answers, Steve, but I'll do my best. I promise," she answered. "Listen, you're going to be ok. We'll figure something out. You can stay with me for as long as you need to."

"I can't!" Steve shook his head. "I can't stay here!"

"You don't belong here," she answered. "I know that. I'll protect you until you can get home, ok? And I'll do my best to help you."

"I don't get it. You say you're gonna help me but you've got me trapped in this… this _thing_ ," he protested.

"It's a box," she retorted. "And I only put you in that so you don't try running off the edge of the desk and hurting yourself."

"I only ran because you said you know Herobrine," Steve snapped. "How'm I supposed to trust you?"

"For crying out loud… have I done _anything_ to hurt you? Just because I know who Herobrine is doesn't mean I'm working with him. I don't even know the guy. I just know his name. I didn't know he was _real_ before I met you. Holy crap…" She trailed off, sinking back in the chair. "Herobrine's _real?_ "

"Of course he's real. He's a pain in the butt," responded Steve. He half sat up.

She swore, making him blink. "This is too much for me. Look, it's late. I'm going to bed. Will you be ok for the night? I closed Mittens out in the other room so she won't bother you."

"You're… you're leaving me in this thing?"

"Well, I'd feel safer," she said. "I don't want to wake up in the morning and find you broken on the floor."

"I… I won't," he said. "I promise. No more trying to escape."

"Where do you want to sleep?" she asked. "I mean, I don't have any proper bed small enough for you. Anyway, you don't have to _escape._ I'm really not trying to keep you as a prisoner."

"Could've fooled me," Steve muttered.

"Tell you what, I'll turn the box on its side, ok? So you can keep the bed in there, and have a kind of little house, but you can still get out if you really want to. Just promise you won't try to get off the desk, ok? Or maybe I should put it down on the floor? But sometimes we get mice… I don't know if it'd be safe."

"Mice?"

"Um… little furry monsters. They'd be kind of like the spiders in Minecraft to you I guess, but they have pretty big teeth for their size. I mean, they're not dangerous to me, and Mittens keeps the population under control but I know I've heard scrabbling in the wall."

"I don't even have a sword," Steve said with a shiver. He peered around. "Maybe this… box… thing isn't so bad. You sure they can't get in it?"

"I'm sure." She nodded. "They never get on my desk anyway. You'd be safe up there."

"I guess… I'll just stay here for now."

"Ok, if you're sure. Listen, my bed's right here. If you yell, I'll hear you," she said. He heard her move across the room and a creaking noise. There was some rustling, and she was still.

"Goodnight, Steve," she said softly.

"G… goodnight." He curled up into the makeshift bed, and let exhaustion take him.

The voice crept through his dream sinister, soft. _Steve… Steve… are you still alive? Did the giants get you yet?_ He saw the white glow, and swung his sword, only to discover his hand was empty, and he was falling, falling into the endless purple tunnel.

" _Noooooooo…_ " He sat bolt upright, sweat leaving him chilled and shaking. The cloth he'd used for a blanket fell away and he stared around, confused and frightened.

 _Where am I? What is this place?_

Another voice, this one further away, but faintly familiar.

"No, Jeff, I'm not coming in this week. Something's come up. Yes, I _know_. I know the therapy is necessary. I don't think, considering the stage, that it'll matter if I miss one session. No, I'm not giving up. I just have something here I have to deal with, that's all. I'll call you."

He heard a thump and footsteps moving back toward the room. He scrambled back against the side of the box, realizing he was trapped. Steve shook, hearing the steps coming nearer.

 _Jo. Her name is Jo. The giant. Crap. Crap crap crap, I'm stuck. I can't get out of this thing. What do I do now? Oh Notch… what's going to happen? I want to go home. I just want to go home. And find Herobrine. And kick him into the nearest ravine._

He listened with growing alarm as the steps came nearer. The door swung open and closed again.

"J…Jo?" he said, but his voice cracked so he tried again. "Hey, Jo."

"Oh good morning, Steve. " Her voice sounded tight and strained. "Sorry. I didn't know you were awake. I brought you some more porkchop and bread. Kind of a weird breakfast but it's all I have that will be familiar to you."

"That'd be great, thanks," responded Steve. He stood up, stretching. "Um Jo? Do… do you think you could let me out of this box?"

"Oh! Right. Sorry. Of course I can."

Steve fell back with a cry as the huge hand appeared at the top of the box. He'd almost forgotten how big she was. "Wait! Don't!" he gasped, cringing back against the side of the box.

"Oh geez. I'm sorry Steve. Ok, hang on. I'm gonna just tip the box, ok? I'll move really slowly so you don't fall. You can just walk out, ok? I don't have to pick you up."

"O… ok," he managed, swallowing hard.

"You ready?" she asked.

Steve nodded, his mouth dry. "Yeah. I'm ready… whoa!"

He gasped as the box began to tip. It was a strange feeling, adjusting his weight as the box tipped to one side. The open side gave him a clear view of the door until she leaned down and peered in at him.

"You ok?"

"Ye… yeah." He crawled forward, out of the bedding that had fallen around him, and emerged from the box, blinking. He stood up just outside it, and stretched, yawning.

"Your food's right there, by the keyboard. How're you feeling this morning?"

Jo was standing a few blocks away, watching him. He fell back a pace but she didn't come any closer.

"I'm… I'm ok," he said, straightening. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Well, I have good news and bad news," she said. "Here, if I can just show you on the computer…" She reached over him, moving the box back and giving him room to back up. Steve watched her warily, but she didn't reach for him, so he turned to look at the screen. She sat down and reached for the keyboard. He managed not to flinch. He settled down on the desktop, and reached for the food on the plate. It was as good as he remembered from the night before, and he felt his strength surging again as he ate.

The screen flickered to life. A strange box appeared. She moved what Steve had taken for another small hill, and clicked it several times. Suddenly the screen turned dirt-brown. Steve stared, fascinated, as the screen flashed again, and something new appeared. Steve dropped the bit of bread he was holding and moved forward, reaching up to touch the screen. He was startled by the cool, smooth surface that stopped his hand. Still, he stared longingly into the image before him. _Home._

The entire world… _his_ world, was laid out before him.

"That's Minecraft," she said softly. She pressed some buttons and the screen moved, showing more of the landscape. Steve nearly moaned with longing.

"How do I get in there?" he demanded.

"That part, I don't know," she said with a sigh. "I can't figure out what he did to the code. I've never seen Herobrine in my game."

"Lucky you," said Steve.

"Yeah, well. He's not supposed to be real," she responded. "He's a legend. A ghost."

"He was real enough to do this to me," snapped Steve.

"I know." She sighed. "I'm trying to figure it out. I wish _I_ could go to _your_ world. I love this game."

"Game? That's my _life_ in there," responded Steve.

"Sorry. I know. But for me, it's always been just a game. See?" She pressed more buttons, and a hand appeared on the screen, punching the tree.

Steve watched, fascinated and slightly horrified. "That's… that's a _person_ ," he gasped. "How are you doing that?"

"That's my player in the game," she said. "Here, I'll show you." She clicked another button and a girl appeared on the screen. Steve fell back, gasping. She was pretty. Green eyes, and golden-red hair. _Just like Jo. But… real_ , he thought with a jolt. _Real in_ my _world._

"This is insane," he muttered, turning from the screen for a moment to glance back at the giant. She was gazing longingly at the screen.

"Jo? Jo are you here?" A voice boomed through the house, causing Steve to cower, throwing up a hand to shield his head.

"Who's that?" he cried, shaken.

"Oh hell. It's my friend Daniel. Jeff must've called him. He has a key; he must've let himself in. It's ok Steve, he's my friend. He might even be able to help."

"What? More giants? No way!" Steve backed away. "You can't let him know I'm here."

"I won't do anything you don't want me to do," she said gently. "But if you don't want him to see you, you're going to have to hide."

"Hide? Where?"

"You could get back in the box," she suggested. "I can put it in the closet. He'll never know you're here."

"No. I'm not getting back in there. You're not trapping me again!" Steve felt panic rising.

"Steve, relax. It's ok, I promise. Daniel is my friend. He won't hurt you, but you don't have to meet him if you don't want to."

"Then what do I do?" he looked around for a place to escape to.

"Here. Climb into my pocket." She leaned forward, holding open a sort of cloth sack on the front of her shirt. "You can see and hear what's going on but he won't see you."

"You want me to get in there?" He hesitated, staring down into the soft cloth sack. Her proximity made him nervous, but he heard footsteps. "Ok, ok. Just don't tell him about me!"

He scrambled up and over the edge of the desk. There was a bad moment when he dropped down into the cloth pouch of the pocket, but it caught him, cradling him securely. He could hear her heart beating in a strangely reassuring rhythm as he settled into the bottom of the cloth sack. Steve frowned, listening to her heart. It seemed to stutter on every third beat or so, an odd rhythm. _Maybe that's just how giant's hearts sound_ , he thought, but it made him feel uneasy. Movement, and footsteps.

"Daniel. What're you doing here?" Her voice was slightly muffled.

"Looking for you, Jo. You're supposed to be at therapy today." The giant was male, and he sounded worried and annoyed.

"I know, Daniel. I told Jeff, something came up."

"What could possibly be more important than your chemo, Jo?"

"I have a project, Daniel. In fact, maybe you can help me with it. My game's acting very oddly," she said. "Can you have a look?"

"Are you still wasting time on that modpack?" asked the man, sounding impatient.

"No. This is different. My game is acting… weird. It glitched last night and I can't figure out exactly what happened. I want to recreate it so I can fix it," she responded. "Since you're already here, why don't you come have a look?"

"I really came to pick up the cat. You still want me to take Mittens, right?"

"if you could, that'd be great. It's getting harder for me to make sure she gets the care she needs. I know you'll look after her."

"Jo…"

Steve felt the woman stop. "Daniel," she said, sounding soft but firm. "You know it's for the best. Things aren't going to change, no matter how we deny the facts."

"Jo, I just can't help but feel as if you're giving up here."

"I'm not giving up. Just being realistic."

"Jo…"

"I've got Mittens' things all gathered up for you," said Jo briskly. "Can you look at the computer before you go?"

Steve heard the giant sigh. "I guess so."

The giants moved through the house and Steve heard the chair creak and the sound of the keys tapping.

"You said the glitch is in the main code of the game?"

"It seems like it yes."

More clicking. Steve held his breath. He didn't like the male giant, didn't trust him, but he hoped the creature might help them find a solution to the problem. He just wished he could see what was happening.

"Holy crap! What was that?" asked Daniel suddenly.

"I… I don't know. It's never done that before," responded Jo. She sounded shaken. Steve was beginning to regret his decision to hide. It was frustrating to not be able to see what was going on.

"Maybe you should get the machine itself looked at, Jo. We could drop it off on the way to the hospital," said the man persuasively.

"Thanks, Daniel, but I'm going to keep working on it," said Jo firmly. "I'll go in for the next session. Please don't worry so much."

"I wish you'd let me help," said Daniel.

"You _are_ helping, by taking care of Mittens," responded Jo. "We both know that. Please, Daniel. You're going to have to trust me. I talked to my doctors. I know what I'm doing."

"I _do_ trust you, Jo. I just know how things are. You don't have to do this by yourself."

"I'm not. I've got good friends who care. But you know where this journey ends, Daniel. I'm just glad I've got to spend some of it with such good friends."

There were more footsteps, and Steve heard a door open. He felt a breeze and felt the warmth as the light changed.

"I'll talk to you later, Jo."

"You betcha. Thanks again, Daniel. You're a real friend."

The door closed again and there were more footsteps. Jo leaned forward and Steve saw through the top of the pocket that she was leaning over the desk. She held very still while he crawled out onto the desk.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He noticed for the first time that her skin was pale, almost translucent. She looked tired.

"The computer did something weird when Daniel was messing with it," she said. "I need to see if I can figure it out. I think I can follow the line of code back."

"What did it do?" Steve asked. The world was on the screen again, enticing, inviting, and out of reach. He stared, longingly.

"It sort of… flickered. Made some sort of purple sparks," she responded.

"What? That's the portal!" he gasped, rushing forward to press his hands against the screen. If only he could get the portal open! He could go home.

"It is? Holy crap. Ok give me a sec. It seems too simple to be true but I want to try something."

She sat down, bringing up a screen. With several clicks, she moved the world to one side of the screen, leaving the other side a wall of text. Steve barely noticed that several lines of text were glowing purple, giving off sparks.

"Ha! This, right here! This is it," she said excitedly. "Steve, I think I can send you home!"

"Really? Great! Let's do it!"

She hesitated. "Steve… it could be dangerous. I mean, what if it doesn't work? What if you land in some random place where you don't have any help? What if… I mean… what if I never see you again?"

"Jo…" Steve swallowed hard. "I have to take the chance. I have to get home, or die trying."

She was watching him. "You're willing to take the risk?"

"I don't have a choice. I can't stay here. Jo, I don't _belong_ here," he said. "Everything's huge and unfamiliar. I can't take care of myself. I can't get my own food, let alone tools or weapons. I'm scared of my own shadow. I'm scared of _you,_ and all you've done is try to help me. I can't stay here. I have to get home. I have to try. Please try to understand. Anything's better than being stuck here for the rest of my life." He swallowed hard.

"I get it," she said softly. "Ok. I'll try. Please be safe, Steve. I haven't known you long, but I like you."

"I… I like you, too," he admitted. "Thanks, for everything. Really. I'm sorry I tried to jump off the desk."

She laughed. "It's all good. I'm sorry I stuck you in a box. You ready for this?"

"Well, there's no time like the present." Steve hesitated. "Hey, Jo?"

"What?" She hesitated, her hand hovering over the keyboard.

"What's a chemo?"

"Oh," She laughed. "It's nothing to worry about Steve."

"But that guy said you missed it. Don't you need to do it? I mean, if I go, you'll still be able to do it right?"

"I'm… done with chemo, Steve," she said quietly. "It's not helping anymore. The doctors told me last week that I didn't need to come in today. Jeff and Daniel are my friends. I haven't been able to bring myself to tell them yet."

"Tell them what?" Steve watched the woman, a strange feeling squirming through his stomach. He had a feeling he was missing something. He could almost hear Herobrine laughing at him, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Jo had been kind to him. She was his friend. So what was going on?

"I'm dying, Steve."

She said it so matter-of-factly, he blinked.

"What?"

"I'm dying. It's cancer. Chemo is a therapy that helps sometimes, but what I've got, it's not responding. I'm not going to make it. The doctors say I have less than a month left."

"What? What does that mean? I mean, won't you just… respawn? What's a cancer?" Steve was anxious to make the attempt to get home, but now he felt torn. This was a mystery, and he realized suddenly that he'd been so busy trying to escape this world, he really didn't understand anything about it.

"There's… no respawn in this world," said Jo, smiling sadly. "Not that I know of, anyway. Some people think you wake up in a new world, but it's not a respawn. Not like you're used to. This is a one-life game, Steve. It's ok. I knew it was going to happen eventually. There wasn't a good chance the chemo could help me anyway."

"You mean… you just… die?" Steve shook his head. "But… that's… that's awful."

"It's ok, Steve. Come on. Let's try to get you home," she said, sounding more cheerful than he could imagine being.

"But… what about you?"

"What about me? Steve, nothing's going to change for me, except that maybe I did something worthwhile with my remaining time here," she said. "Anyway, if this works, maybe I can visit you in the game. With my character I mean. It'll give me something to do when I can't get around well anymore. It's already tiring for me to go out. My heart is failing."

"That would be… wow." Steve shook his head. "I can't quite get my mind around that right now. But, what about… you know, later. What'll happen to your character? I mean, what if she dies in the game? Will she respawn?"

Jo hesitated. "Well, I have to click "respawn" for that to happen," she said. "I guess she'd just be gone. Sorry."

"What? No! That can't be right." Steve shook his head.

"Well, we'll worry about that after we get you back where you belong, ok?'

Steve shook his head. He felt more upset about the girl he'd never met, living in his world in Jo's computer, than he would have expected.

"Let's just do this, Steve. I'm getting tired. We should take care of it before I run out of stamina," said Jo. She sat down at the computer.

Steve swallowed hard. She laid her hands down on the desktop, her fingers resting on the keys. Slowly, cautiously, he walked closer to her hand. She didn't look at him, so he reached out, and touched her arm. She looked at him them, startled, and held still, letting him touch her without moving.

"Jo, I.. if this doesn't work, I just want you to know…" He swallowed hard. "I… I'm not that scared of you anymore. I wish we had more time to get to know each other. You've been a good friend."

She smiled. "That means more to me than you'll ever know," she said softly. "Thank you, Steve."

He nodded, unsure of what else to say. She started typing again, and the letters on the screen glowed purple. Sparkles appeared on the screen, making it look brighter.

"Holy crap I hope this isn't a terrible idea," muttered Jo. "Ok, when you're ready, Steve, you're going to have to hit the Enter key. I'm pretty sure that's how Herobrine activated his little trap. If I've done everything right, it should reverse the process and send you back into the game."

"Ok. Thanks, Jo. Take care of yourself."

"Goodbye, Steve."

He touched her hand one more time before stepping forward to the large key that said ENTER. He put his foot on it and stepped forward, putting his weight on it.

"You've got to push it now, Steve!" said Jo urgently. "Go on!"

"I'm not heavy enough!" He exclaimed. He jumped up, intending to use his weight to click the heavy key.

"I'll help you," said Jo. She reached out, pushing the key down with the tip of her finger as he landed on it. There was a bright purple _flash_ , and everything disappeared.

 _Crap… crap crap crap crap crap…"_ The mantra repeated itself over and over as he tumbled through the purple tunnel of light. _What if she did it wrong? Where will I land this time? What if this is just another of Herobrine's tricks?_

The ground rushed up so fast he had no time to think about the impact.

When Steve became aware of himself again, he lay very still for several minutes, just listening. He had the sense that he'd been knocked out.

 _Well, I can't lay here forever…_ Slowly, reluctantly, he opened his eyes. The world, _his_ world, greeted him. The familiar leaves swayed slightly in the breeze. The grass under his hands was familiar. He was _home._

 _Holy crap she did it. It worked. Thank Notch._ He rolled over slowly, taking in his surroundings. The landscape didn't look familiar, but he was not concerned with that. Survival was easy, now that he was _home._ The nightmare was finally over.

He looked around carefully. He'd spawned on a hillock, with a single tree above. He sighed out with relief. At least it wasn't a Dark Forest, with mobs spawning under the shade. Nothing moved on the plains but a few sheep baaing. There didn't seem to be much of anything in the area, yet, but the landscape was beautiful. In the distance, he saw what looked like a jungle.

 _Not bad,_ he thought. _I could make something here, a temporary base until I can find home. Shouldn't take more than a few days._

Steve got to his feet. He checked his inventory out of habit, but it was empty. Well, he wasn't surprised. So, this would be a new day. Not the end of the world. He'd lost everything before and started over. This would be no different. He breathed deeply and frowned. Something felt… slightly off. The colors… he couldn't quite put a finger on it. He shook off the doubt. It was his world. It was familiar, and things worked the way they were supposed to here. At least, he _hoped_ they did.

Remembering the box, he decided against punching the tree. _Start with something easier._ He punched a piece of grass waving in the wind. The familiar, reassuring sound of grass breaking, and the bright green seeds that fell to the ground and floated, waiting to be picked up, were the most beautiful things he'd experienced. He moved forward, picking up the seeds, and started down the hill. He wanted to find a place to build before nightfall.

There was a small stand of trees to the west, so he headed in that direction. Small forest patches didn't usually spawn anything too dangerous under their canopies during the day. He was sure he could get some wood in relative safety. Steve hesitated, staring at a birch tree. It's familiar bark reassured him. He reached out and touched it. It felt so _normal._ But, would it break? Only one way to find out. He punched the tree, feeling the familiar surge of power. The log started cracking, and he grinned. Yes. He was _home._

Quickly, he gathered almost a stack of wood, careful not to leave any hanging leaves. He picked up a few saplings and apples that dropped from the despawning oak leaves, before making himself a crafting table and a wooden pick. He hesitated only a moment before adding a wooden sword to his inventory. He normally wouldn't bother with the wooden weapon, considering it quite useless, but after all he'd been through, he felt naked without a weapon.

Picking up the crafting table, he slung the sword onto his back and looked around for a cave, some surface stone, any place he could get the materials he needed to survive the night. He spotted a small cave not far off and headed in that direction. He didn't go far inside. There was no sense in inviting trouble. He mined a few blocks of stone and quickly made himself a stone pick and sword.

He hesitated. _Should I go mining, or get some more food first?_

He checked his inventory. He had seven apples. Enough to get through the night mining. _Check. I'll go hunting in the morning, hopefully with better tools, and a shield,_ he thought. Going underground, where he wouldn't have to deal with mobs, sounded like the best idea right now. He wasn't 100% sure of his strength in this new place, and he didn't relish the idea of spending the night in a dirt box, hiding out from mobs in the open where Herobrine might appear at any time.

Equipping the sword, he moved slowly into the cave. He was disappointed to find no surface iron or coal right away and headed further down the winding tunnel. Steve squinted. Something wasn't right. Caves shouldn't be _lit._ Unless there was lava, but that seemed unlikely at this level. He moved forward, gripping the sword. What if this was another of Herobrine's traps?

As he rounded the corner, Steve gasped. There was a _torch_ on the wall ahead, lighting up a small area of the cave. He froze in place. He was the only person in the area that he knew of. Who else could be here? And would they turn out to be friend or foe?

 _Crap._ He wasn't prepared for a fight, but the idea of meeting someone, seeing another person, a _real_ person, in the world, was a powerful lure.

"Um… Hey. Hi. Anyone home?" he called cautiously, peering into the shadows beyond the torch. "Hello?"

"Go away!" The voice startled him so badly he nearly fell over backward. He brought the sword up in defense. "I'm warning you! I've got a diamond sword! Go away! I don't want to have to hurt you!"

"Ok, ok geez. Relax," Steve responded. "Look, I'm not looking for a fight here. I just spawned here and I need someplace safe to spend the night. I'm not a griefer or anything, I promise. Can I just stay here until the sun comes up?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" The voice echoed, making it hard to pinpoint.

"Well… you don't, I guess." Steve lifted his sword carefully. He didn't miss the faint gasp, but he slid the sword into its holder. "But I'm harmless. I promise."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," the voice responded. "From the nut with the white eyes. You look enough like him to be his brother."

"Crap. You saw Herobrine?" Steven nodded with sympathy. "He causes as much trouble as he can, for everyone. He got me into a doozy of a mess, too. I just got back from… where he sent me."

"I… I don't know how I got here. I don't know where I am." The other voice sounded shaken. And female, Steve realized with a shock. He moved forward slowly, closer to the torchlight, peering into the darkness, trying to pinpoint her location.

"Stay away!" Her voice went high with alarm. "You stay back!" He heard a faint rustling sound from his right. She had concealed herself in a crevice in the wall.

"Oh hey, take it easy. Look, I'll just… go over here and sit down, ok? So we can talk. I'm not gonna do anything, I promise." Steve backed up, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed. He was sharply reminded of how terrified he'd been upon facing the giant, Jo.

 _At least she's not dealing with a giant. Neither am I, this time. But neither of us knows one another. She doesn't know if she can trust me, and I sure don't trust anyone, either, but I've got to get through the night._

He moved back against the wall, noticing a small chest nearby. He was tempted to examine its contents but politely refrained. He didn't think she'd appreciate him raiding her stuff, and if she really did have a diamond sword, it could be bad news to tick her off.

"So, when did you see Herobrine?" He sank down to the floor, pulling up one knee and resting his elbow on it comfortably.

She hesitated. "This morning," she said softly. "I… landed here, and when I woke up, he was there. Standing over me. Laughing. I freaked out and ran, but I could hear him laughing still." Steve heard rustling as she moved about nervously. "I ran for the trees. I don't know where he went after that, but the sun was coming up so I knew I had to get some supplies. I never punched a tree with my actual hands before. It was crazy. I got enough stuff to keep me going for tonight, and came in here."

"Wait a minute." Steve stared suspiciously toward the voice. "You said you had a diamond sword! No way you've got diamonds if you just got here!"

"I… I found it. You stay away!" Her voice rose with alarm.

"You don't really have a sword at all, do you?" He chuckled. "Hey, it's ok. I'm scared, too. What do you mean, you never punched a tree before? How old are you anyway? I mean, who did it for you before?"

"I… well I mean, I've done it in the _game_ ," she said. She blew out a puff of air. "This is so frustrating."

"Wait…" Steve scrambled to his feet. "Game? Did you say you've done it _in the_ _game_?"

"Yeah, so what? Don't you…"

Steve ignored her protest and strode forward. He was certain now that she had no sword, no weapons at all. Another thought was growing in his mind. He had to know.

"Come out of there. Come on, out in the light. Let's get a better look at each other. I'm not gonna hurt you. Come on." He reached into the crevice, groping blindly, and caught her hand. Her free hand swung, catching him in the arm, but the awkward angle made it difficult for her to do any damage.

"Let me _go!"_ she shouted, struggling.

"It's ok," he said, tugging her forward. " _Jo._ "

"What! How did you know my real name? That's not even my game name!" She was near tears, but her struggles were weak. Steve pulled her forward, and she stumbled, nearly falling.

"Jo, it's _me._ Steve. It's ok, really. Calm down."

"What? _Steve_?" Jo stood before him, the woman he'd seen on the screen. Her green eyes were wide. Her hair was disheveled and there were bruises and scratches down her face and arm. She crouched, ready to defend herself, staring at him with disbelief. "But how?"

"I… I don't know. I mean… are you… playing right now?" He stared. He couldn't help it. She was pretty, up close. It felt surreal to be talking to her, knowing that her giant counterpart was directing her actions from a distant keyboard.

Jo shook her head. "I… I don't think so. I've never… I mean when I play, I see the screen, like I showed you. This…" She held her hands out, looking at them as if she'd never seen them before. "This feels _real._ What happened, Steve? How did I get here? And how'm I getting home? _"_

 _Oh crap._ "When you… helped me… with that button…" Steve shook his head. "Jo, I think… you teleported, too. Here. Into the game. Holy crap."

"So, I'm in the _game_? What now? What do I do?" She sank to the ground, shaking. "I didn't get any food. Herobrine scared me so badly all I could think was to go underground. I grabbed wood and stuff and ran in here like a scared newb. It's getting dark and my hearts are low and I don't think I'm even going to survive my first night. Some gamer I am."

"I was scared, too," said Steve. "When I spawned in _your_ world."

"I guess at least I'm not dealing with giants grabbing me and tossing me in a box," Jo sniffled. "I really am sorry about that, Steve."'

"You were trying to help." He knelt, laying a hand on her back. She flinched but accepted the contact. "Come on, Jo, it's not that bad," he said softly. "Why don't you… you know, um, play along with me, until we can figure this out. There's got to be a way, right?"

"You must think I'm a huge baby," she said, sniffing again. "I'm scared, Steve. I mean, I know how to survive in this game, but this isn't my world. I don't belong here, any more than you belonged in mine."

"I don't think you're a baby. At least you're not trying to throw yourself off a cliff to get away," he said ironically, earning a chuckle from the trembling girl.

"Yeah, that wasn't one of your finer moments. But to be fair, Mittens did try to eat you. And if Herobrine showed up right now I'd run off any cliff I could find to get away from him," she responded.

"I won't let him hurt you," said Steve firmly. "I've fought him before. We're at a bit of a disadvantage right now, but we can do this. You're gonna be ok, Jo. Promise."

She lifted her head, wiping her face. "My hero," she said, smiling.

Steve laughed. She was spunky, he had to give her that. A thought occurred to him. "Jo… you… Your color is better."

"What?" She looked up at him, confused. She sat up.

"Sure. You… you look better. Um… healthier. That… cancer thing… I mean, it doesn't exist in Minecraft, right? In the… game?"

"Holy crap." She got to her feet, and pressed her hands against her stomach, staring down at her body as if it were something new and strange. "I… I hadn't thought about that. What about my body, back in the real world? I mean… If I'm here, and not there… Well crap."

She sank slowly to her knees. "This is too much. I can't think about it. Steve… I think I… I might be dead. Back there, I mean. I felt my heart kind of jolting when we fell into that weird purple thing. I'm used to it, I didn't pay any attention but…" She drew a shuddering breath. "I… might not have a world to go back to."

"Well, you've got a world _here_ ," said Steve, trying to reassure her. "I'll help you. We can figure this out."

She shook her head. "Crap… I don't know what to do. I mean, I had everything handled. I just hoped I'd have more time… to say goodbye." She shook her head. "I guess… it is what it is. I'll just have to make the best of things."

"It's not so bad, Jo, you'll see." He held out his hand, helping her to her feet. She swayed, closing her eyes.

"Listen, my in game name is Shyanne. You can just call me Shy, ok? It seems weird to be called by my real name here."

"Sure, whatever you want… Shy. Here. Eat." Steve opened his inventory and selected half the apples he'd collected. His hearts were full and he didn't need to eat yet. He had plenty to share.

"You sure?" She hesitated, looking longingly at the fruit.

"Hey, you fed me."

She gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah but I had a fridge full of food. You sure you can spare some?"

"I've got seven," he told her. "Take it. You need to eat. We're going to have to do some mining. I see you got coal. What else did you find?"

"Not much," she said, accepting the apple. She bit into it, chewed and swallowed. "There's some more coal there in the chest and some cobble. That's about it. I broke my wood pick already."

"It's a start," said Steve. He opened his own inventory and set down the crafting bench. "Do you have a sword? Any tools?"

She shook her head. "I was gathering cobble. Not thinking really, just clearing out this little space so I could stay underground tonight. She glanced toward the entrance and shivered. "It's getting dark, Steve. What should we do next? I mean, normally at this stage I go mining and get a bunch of stuff, but I usually have enough brains to get food and wood before I go underground, too."

"Well, can we use some of your cobble to block ourselves in?" he suggested. "Then we can make tools and mine until morning. Maybe we can get some iron."

"I don't have any wood," she said.

"I have plenty. And more apples. Between us we have enough to get started. Partners?" He asked, holding out his hand.

Jo stared for a moment before reaching out and grasping it. A slow smile spread across her face. "Partners."

*fin*


End file.
